Alarm-clock attachment.



D. H. & T. H. TILLERY.

ALARM CLOCK ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1915.

1,1 59,622. Patented Nov. 9, 1915;

WITNESSES INVI INTORS: v 6'' W 3 I I I 5211? 7/4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID H. TILLERY AND THOMAS H. TILLERY, OF NE ARK,- NEW JERSEY.

ALARM-CLOCK ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed March 3, 1915. Serial No. 11,704.

have invented certain new and useful'Im-- provements in Alarm-Clock Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an equipment whereby an ordinary alarm clock can be used for the purpose of releasing mechanism at a specific time, the clock thus being adapted to be used with any form of spring or. gravity operated device, such as the 'mechanism of a house heating plant or store illuminating device for shutting off or turning on the lights at a predetermined time, and for any use similar to the above, to which a time-controlled releasing device is adapted to be attached.

The device comprises a device to be affixed to the winding stem of the alarm portion of an ordinary alarm clock, this winding stem being of the kind that is wound up r in one direction and then held by a suitable controlling device within the clock and re leased at a predetermined time, and when released the handle rotates in a direction reverse to the winding movement. The clocks .as now made are provided with handles that are not adapted for use with a controlling device for a heating plant or the like, and our invention provides this part of the clock with a means for suspending any suitable tripping device, releasing said tripping device when the handle and its fixture begins to rotate, and also acting as a finger-piece or winding means, whereby the winding handle can be turned to wind up the alarm a mechanism of the clock.

' The invention is further designed to provide a suspending device whereby a clock can be held so that it does not unduly tilt when it is used for holding the tripping means of a mechanism controlled by the clock, but while it is held firmly in place it is nevertheless easily adapted for removal so that it can be shaken to start it, which is necessary in the average alarm clock.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an alarm clock equipped with a suspendingdevice and with the clamp or hook, which is mounted on the alarmwinding handle, in position; Fig. 2

is a top view or" the clamp or hook and also illustrating the winding handle in'elevation. Fig. 3 is a view of a part of Fig. 1 showing the hook or clamp when it is rotated so as to be in reverse position to release the tripping'means or other mechanism held by the hook- Fig. 4C is a perspective of a clamp of modified form. Fig. 5 is a front view of the suspending device showncin Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a view of a blank from. which the suspending device, shown in Figs. 1 and 5 is constructed.

It iswell known that clocks have been devised with time-controlled mechanisms that release tripping devices and similar elements to be operated by springs, or gravity, or any other form of force, but these clocks usually are of a particular type and on account of their being especially made for the a purpose, are either expensive to make or are vide an outfit. to support an ordinary alarm' clock of the cheap kind as sold in the retail trade, and to provide'the supported clock with a means for suspending a weight, a spring operated means, or any suitable trip ping device. The illustration does not show I the mechanism released by the clock, nor is the interiorrof the clock shown, since these devices or mechanisms are well known orcan be easily devised, and since they form no part of this invention they are not illustrated in detail. I,

In the drawing we show an ordinary form of alarm clock 10 with the usual form of winding and setting devices, the form shown illustrating a setting knob 11 and a winding handle 12 to wind up the clock, and having a winding handle 13 for winding up the alarm. The handle 13 is usually in the form of a ring which is swiveled ina boss 14 having a reduced end 15 which is screwthreaded on its interior and receives a screwthreaded end 16 of the arbor that leads to the winding-up mechanism of the alarm part of the clock. It will be evident that the swiveled ring 13 is not adapted for supporting a 'ringor any other suspending or supporting device, and we therefore supply the handle with a clamp or hook, said clamp or hook forming a combined finger-piece and hook and being adapted to stiffen and to rotate with the handle 13. In the form shown in Figsrl, 2 and 3 the clamp consists of a sheet of metal having the cheek-pieces 1'? which are bent forward from a back 18, the back 18 having perforation 19 to receive the reduced end 15 so that after the handle 13 is separated from the arbor 16 it can be placed between the cheek-pieces 17 which have been preivously bent or sprung apart, and is limited in its inward movement by a shoulder 20 engaging the back 18. The cheek-pieces 17 are drawn together as at 21 to form a stiffened double structure and are held together by suitable means, such as a screw 22, so that the whole device is clamped tightly onto the handle 13. The extensions 23 of the cheek-pieces 17, these extensions preferably lying side by side when they are drawn together by the screw 22, form a finger-piece for turning the handle and also form a form of hook or supporting bracket having the curved or recessed upper edge 2% terminating in the nose the back being formed into an inclined substantially smooth surface 26, the extensions which form the hook thus act-- ing to support an element of a tripping mechanism, the form shown illustrating a ring 27 fastened to a suitable chain or strand 28 and leading to a mechanism to be released or operated, as will be evident.

If the device is used for controlling a heater the chain 28 can either be attached to one of the doors or drafts of the heater, or can be attached to the diaphragm lever, this illustration being made simply to show one of the users of the device and not as a description of an y limitation of its use.

The clamp preferably has wing; 29 bent over from the top and bottom edges to insure absence of any excessive tilting in the clamp when it is used for suspending anythingy In Fig. t is shown a modified form in which the screw 22 is replaced by a tab or clip 30 formed on one of the extensions 23 and being bent over on the other side so as to hold the parts together, It will be evidentthat when the device is being used for suspending a weight or spring-operated tripping mechanism, the tendency will be to pull the clock over backward and cause it to tilt, in which case any material tilt will put the clock at an angle to permit the ring or other supported element 2'? to slip from the hook or clamp. It is therefore necessary to support the clock in a fixed position to prevent its undue tilting, but at the same time fasten it in a manner to permit its being withdrawn easily for the purpose of turning the clock by a wrist motion or to start it, which it is usually necessary to do to start clocks of this kind. The bracket or support for the clock comprises a leg or stand portion having feet that are spread to the front and back so as to engage the top of the clock or the top of the bell when the bell is mounted on the clock as is sometimes the case, and being also adapted to engage and to be held against a ring mounted on the top of the clock and its vert cally supporting stem, the support in turn being adapted to receive a bar or the like and to be held thereon against tilting. The support is preferably made of sheet metal, although other material can be used, and in the form shown it is bent at the top to form a top part 31, ends 32 and a bottom the whole forming a socket, the ends 32 of which are provided with openings 3d of substantially the same crossesectional shape and area as the shank of the bar which is adapted to support the device, the shank 35 being suitably fastened to the ceiling or side walls of a building or any other suitable support, the form illustrated showing the end bent as at 36 to form a spike or nail which is adapted to be driven into a beam or the like. The outer end of the shank or bar 35 is narrowed as at 37 to facilitate the installation of the bracket or support on the bar 35 and it has a notch 38 in its top edge which receives the rear wall 22 when the bracket is shoved out all the way, and prevents the accidental slipping of the bar. It will thus be seen that it is only necessary to raise the support somewhat in order to place it in a position to be slid from the bar again,

The bottom plates 33 merge into the upright plates or standards 39 which are-pro vided with perforations 40 to receive the screw or bolt ll by means of which they are drawn together. The legs orstandards 39 fit against the sides ofaring, 42 usually mounted in the top of alarm clocks of this kind, the ring LQbeing swiveled or otherwise secured to a lug or block 43 in the top of the supporting post 44. The leg-s39 are bent outward at the bottom to form the feet 45 with the downwardly curved and preferably rounded ends l6 which engage the top edge of the clock casing toward the front and rear, or the front and rear end of a bell if the bell is mounted on the top of the clock,

and are then bent inward to form the free or spring ends 47 which bear up against the underside of the ring 42, the ends l7 having the slots 4-8 so that these ends embrace the boss 43, as will be evident.

It will be understood that when the clock is to be removed from the bar, the clock and the support are raised together so that the support has its socket portion at the top thereof in position to beslipped off of the bar 35.

The device herein described transforms an ordinary alarm clock into an operative, simple, and inexpensive means for supplying a time-controlled device for releasing any mechanism desired which at the present time, in many cases, requires a complex, ex-

pensive and very often semi-fixed form of clock, in view of which the advantages of the present construction Will be apparent. 7

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. An alarm clock fixture comprising a sheet of metal bent to form a clamp to embrace a Winding handle of an alarm clock, said clamp forming a finger-piece and having one edge to form a supporting edge and the opposite edge to form a releasing edge.

2. A fixture for alarm clocks consisting of a sheet metal plate with a perforated back and cheek-pieces projecting therefrom, the cheek-pieces forming a finger-piece, said finger-piece having one edge to form a supporting edge and having its opposite edge inclined and substantially straight, and means for holding said cheek-pieces in clampin position.

3. A xture for an alarm clock having a clamp having a back With a perforation therein, Wings projecting from the top and bottom edges of the back, cheek-pieces projecting from the side edges of the back, the cheek-pieces, the back and the Wings being adapted to embrace the handle. of the Winding mechanism of the alarm clock, the cheekpieces having an extension which is formed on its top edge to form a supporting edge and on its opposite edge to form a non-supporting edge, and means for locking said cheek-pieces in clamping position.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing, We hereto set our hands, this 27th day of February, 1915.

DAVID H. TILLERY. THOMAS H. TILLERY.

Witnesses:

M. A. JOHNSON, H. TRAUTVETTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

